Kinka plate folders
}} The Kinka (錦華カメラ) 6.5×9cm plate folders were made in the early 1930s by Yamamoto Shashinki Kōsakusho. One source says that they were released in 1931. Lewis, p.47. The company later made a number of other cameras under the Kinka brand: see Kinka Lucky, Kinka Roll and Semi Kinka. The wooden Kinka The original Kinka has a mixed body with a wooden rear casing and metal folding bed. There are small folding struts with a peculiar shape, double extension bellows driven by a small wheel on the photographer's right, and a distance scale on the left. The camera has a collapsible brilliant finder with a square window, and a wireframe finder with a rounded eyepiece on the rear. Only one example has been observed so far. Example pictured in this page at Asacame. It has vertical movements driven by a knob atop the right-hand branch of the U-shaped front standard, and perhaps horizontal movements as well. Its lens is an Anastigmat Trioplan 10.5cm f/4.5 by Meyer, mounted in a dial-set Vario shutter (25, 50, 100, B, T), with a simple "needle" self-timer. An unidentified plate folder pictured in Yazawa has some similarity with the above camera, and might correspond to a wooden Kinka. Example pictured in Yazawa, p.22 of no.271. The author says that the Trimar lens and Vario shutter mounted on the camera are not original. It has similar folding struts, focusing rails, focusing wheel and front standard with a knob for vertical movements. It mainly differs by the shape of the handle lugs and brilliant finder and by the absence of a wireframe finder. The metal Kinka The next model has an all-metal body, and a focusing worm screw on the photographer's right. It has double extension bellows, the same viewfinder eyepiece and the same folding struts as the previous model. The pulling handles at the base of the front standard have a different cylindrical shape. The vertical and horizontal movements are perhaps still available, but the setting knob has disappeared. The brilliant finder has a different shape with a round window. The June 1932 advertisement in says that the Kinka was copied by a host of other cameras, whose most prominent sales point is to keep silent on their build quality. The pictures show the metal model with worm screw focusing; an oval plate engraved KINKA HAND CAMERA is visible inside the folding bed. The camera was supplied with three plate holders and one film pack holder. The following versions are listed, all with Meyer Anastigmat lenses: Lewis, p.47, gives similar lens and shutter options, but says "Auto Prontor" for "Auto Pronto", certainly by mistake. * f/6.3, New Vario, ; * f/4.5, New Vario, ; * f/4.5, Auto Pronto, ; * f/4.5, Ibsor, ; * f/4.5, Auto Compur, . The Kinka A mentioned in a June 1935 advertisement is perhaps a new name for the original metal Kinka. Advertisement in , June 1st, 1935, p.5, reproduced on p.23 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. The two surviving examples pictured in are similar to the camera presented in the June 1932 advertisement. One of them has a Trioplan 10.5cm f/6.3 lens and a Vario shutter (25, 50, 100, B, T). , item 1073. The other has a Maro Anastigmat 105mm f/6.3 lens and a dial-set shutter (25, 50, 100, B, T), also inscribed MARO on the speed dial. , item 1073. This Maro brand is otherwise unknown. The Special East distributed by Sone Shunsuidō in 1929 is quite similar to the metal Kinka, of which it was perhaps a name variant. The Kinka C and Kinka D The Kinka C is a cheaper version of the original Kinka, and it has the same folding struts and wireframe finder. It only exists with an f/8 lens, and the shutter plate is inscribed KINKA C at the top in the advertising picture observed so far. Advertisement in July 1935 reproduced in , p.67. It seems that the focusing worm screw has disappeared, and the camera is perhaps focused by manually moving the front standard. The Kinka D is a more expensive model. It has double extension bellows, driven by a small focusing wheel on the photographer's right, and a patented exposure table. Patented exposure table: advertisement in July 1935 reproduced in , p.67 (特許露出表付). The advertisement in no.1, 10 May 1934, reproduced on p.12 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku, only says "utility model" (新案). The folding struts and handle attachment differ from that of the previous models, and the wireframe finder has been replaced by a folding frame finder attached to the rear. The Kinka D was advertised alone in the May 10, 1934 issue of , where the price is said to vary from ¥33 to ¥85. Advertisement in no.1, 10 May 1934, p.10, reproduced on p.12 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. The Kinka A, C and D were advertised together in the June 1st, 1935 issue of the same magazine, from ¥15 to ¥85. Advertisement in , June 1st, 1935, p.5, reproduced on p.23 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. The Kinka C and D were advertised in in July 1935. Advertisement reproduced in , p.67. In the document the Kinka C is offered for with one plate holder and one film pack holder, and two versions of the Kinka D are listed: Advertisement in July 1935 reproduced in , p.67. * Kinka D, Radionar f/3.5 lens, Rulex A shutter (1–200), ; * Kinka D, Trionar f/4.5 lens, Elka shutter, with simple self-timer, . An advertisement in the December 1935 issue of Photo Times says that Kikōdō was a distributor of the Super, Kinka and Peter cameras. The Kinka C was advertised again in December 1936. Advertisement in December 1936, p.A58. This is the last known mention of a Kinka plate folder. The document lists the camera for , and mentions a leather case at ¥3.00. The textual description is supplemented by a picture of the Kinka Roll 6×9cm rollfilm camera, perhaps by mistake. One surviving example of the Kinka D has been observed with a Rulex A (1–250, B, T) and a Radionar 10.5cm f/3.5 made by Neumann & Heilemann, certainly from imported Schneider elements. Example observed in an online auction. Other The camera pictured as a Kinka in Lewis does not correspond to any of the models described above: it has different folding struts, a different wireframe finder, and a focusing wheel to the right. Lewis, p.47. It has an Elka shutter with a hole for a thread and needle release, and the lens engraving perhaps has Fuji Optische Werk. The engraving is barely legible, but the name "Fuji Optische Werk" is reported in , p.328, for the company Fuji Kōgaku. The Kinka camera pictured in Kamera no ayumi is again very different from the models described above, notably in the folding struts, wireframe finder, front standard and handle attachment. Kamera no ayumi, p.84. It has one-and-a-half extension bellows, driven by a wheel on the right. The shutter is a dial-set Pronto, and the lens is a Trinar-Anastigmat 10.5cm f/4.5 by Rodenstock. Notes Bibliography * (アサヒカメラ). Advertisements by Yamamoto Shashinki Kōsakusho: ** June 1932, p.A34; ** December 1936, p.A58. * Items 64–5 (see also the advertisement for items 124–5). * P.84. * Pp.47–8. * P.1020. * Advertisements on p.12, corresponding to p.10 of issue no.1, dated May 10, 1934, and p.23, corresponding to p.5 of the June 1st, 1935 issue. * Items 1073–4. * Yazawa Seiichirō (矢沢征一郎). "Renzu no hanashi (181) Torimā renzu" (レンズの話181トリマー・レンズ, Lens story 181 Trimar lens). In no.271 (January 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.21–3. Links In Japanese: * Kinka at Asacame * Kinka, with close-up pictures http://www.ajcc.gr.jp/C_Photo_16.jpg http://www.ajcc.gr.jp/C_Photo_17.jpg, in a page of the AJCC website Category: Japanese 6.5x9 folding Category: K